Terence O’Malley - Black Hand Strawman: The History of Organized Crime in Kansas City

Filmmaker Terence O’Malley discusses his new book Black Hand Strawman: The History of Organized Crime in Kansas City, a companion to his documentary of the same name.

O’Malley chronicles the Black Hand era in Kansas City that saw the beginnings of Italian organized crime, its later alliance with the Pendergast political machine, and its rise to dominance in the early 20th century. O’Malley also discusses the lives of the overwhelming majority within the city’s Italian American community who suffered as victims of organized crime.